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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: vault · hand · stock · leaves · fine · kid · perch · ball

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. fine — all right
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. kid — child
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. stock — goods
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. hand — in cards
  13. ball — a great time
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. kid — to tease
  16. hand — help
  17. stock — shares
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a dance
  20. perch — the fish
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. fine — high quality
  24. vault — a safe

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com